


Diluting with Water

by SkyborneVeggies



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Family, Alternate Universe - Human, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romance, Unhappy marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-28
Updated: 2015-01-28
Packaged: 2019-04-24 17:38:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14360334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyborneVeggies/pseuds/SkyborneVeggies
Summary: Francis feels like they have lost something, in the monotony of marriage.Originally posted of ff.net in 2014





	Diluting with Water

" _I just… Why is it that for us, when everything is going right, it's all so very wrong?"_

" _Well, Camus did say once that there is scarcely any passion without struggle."_

* * *

Francis greets Arthur at the door with a smile.

"Welcome home, petit chou." Arthur returns a sheepish grin and leans over to meet Francis' puckered lips with a kiss.

"Sorry I'm late," he rubs the back of his neck, "They kept me a bit at the office today, and I-"

"Don't worry, don't worry!" Francis waves his hand dismissively, glancing over his shoulder as he saunters back towards the kitchen. "Dinner just came out of the oven, and the boys are waiting for you. Let's eat!" Arthur quickly hangs his coat and rushes to join him at the table. Neither of them glare or yell.

"Hey Alfred, how was school?" He ruffles his son's hair as he passes. "Mattie," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to the toddler's brow. "Did you and Papa have a nice day?"

Matthew bobs his head happily, smiling his way through some chicken while Alfred starts to tell a story about this new somethingeruther that Kiku's got, and how it does cool stuff and that it glows in the dark and he  _has_  to have one exactly just like it  _pleasepleaseplease_  and etcetera. And sometime halfway through dinner, Arthur looks at Francis and quietly, embarrassedly, comments on how delicious everything tastes.

"Thank you, amour." Francis flashes him a blinding smile and doesn't mention English cooking (For a moment Arthur can almost see the glimmer of a smirk, but maybe that's just wistful thinking). And all too quickly, they've all finished up and are helping the children to bed. They traipse up the stairs.

Arthur gives a tired sigh as they're dressing for bed, and Francis glances over. "Long day at work?" Arthur raises his brow.

"Yes, I was late home, remember?"

"No, I mean long as in, difficult." They slide under the covers.

"Yeah, just a bit." Arthur kisses his cheek goodnight, which Francis returns with likewise. "Nothing a good night's sleep can't fix."

Francis is feeling particularly erotic tonight, but he doesn't make a move because Arthur says it makes him seem too needy when they have sex for too many nights in a row (which Francis knows  _actually_  means that it makes him feel used), so instead he rolls over and doesn't say anything. He stares into the dark and remembers an evening, not a year's length after college, when Arthur had come home drunk, and they'd fought, and a lamp ended up smashed, and the after sex was too selfish, too angry and possessive. He remembers being sickeningly, debilitatingly,  _consumingly_  in love, and he can't help the feeling that he's lost something.  _But aren't you happier now?_  asks the voice in his head. He buries his face in his pillow and doesn't answer.

* * *

_"But what happens if getting m... [blush] m-married turns this into something... average?"_

_[golden laughter] "Average? You and me? In what world would that be even remotely possible, chéri?"_


End file.
